Burial apparatus.



0. H. STAMM. BURIAL APPARATUS. APPLICATION FILED JAN. 30, 1914.

Patented June 23, 1914.

2 SHEETS-SHBBT 1.

Attorneys I I i Witnesses COLUMBIA PLANOORAPH co, wgsmNuToN. n, c.

O. H. STAMM.

BUBIAL APPARATUS.

APPLIOATION FILED JAN. 30, 1914.

Patented June 23, 1914.

v Witnesses 5 lnve'ntor I Attorneys COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPN 00.,WASHINGTON, D. c.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES HOWARD STAMM, OF KOKOMO, INDIANA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-THIRD TO JOHN H. PANABAKER AND ONE-THIRD TO EDGAR COX, BOTH OF KOKOMO, INDIANA.

BURIAL APPARATUS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 23, 1914.

Application filed January 30, 1914. Serial No. 815,517.

1 '0 all whom. 1' It may concern Be it known that 1, CHARLES HOWARD STAMM, a citizen of the United States, residing at Kokomo, in the county of Howard and State of Indiana, have invented a new and useful Burial Apparatus, of which the following is a specification.

'ihis invention relates to burial apparatus and more particularly to a device for lowering the casket into the ground.

The object of the present invention is to provide a transportant apparatus of the class above mentioned which will be simple in construction and at the same time will embody su'tticientrigidity to withstand such usage as it will receive while in active service.

A further object is to provide an openended frame with depending brackets so that the frame may be wheeled so as to embrace casket, and suitable cross members inserted between the depending brackets for the support of the casket which has been previously *aised thereabove, thus pro riding for the steady and rigid support of the casket during its transportation.

liith the foregoing and other objects in view which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention resides in the combination and arrangement of parts and in the details of construction hereinafter described and claimed, it being understood that changes in the precise embodiment of the invention herein disclosed, can be made within the scope of what is claimed, without departing from the spirit of the invention.

In the drawings accompanying this specification and forming a part thereof, the preferable form of my invention is illustrated. in which 2- Figure l is a top plan view of the burial apparatus. Fig. 2 is a side view in elevation of my improved apparatus. Fig. 3 is an end view in elevation of my improved burial apparatus, illustrating the same in the act of lowering a casket within the ground and provided with a top secured thereto, such as may be used for the support of a canopy during inclement weather.

Referring to the drawings inv which similar reference numerals designate corresponding parts throughout the several views, an open ended frame is provided which is formed of the longitudinal base beams 4 -4: and the cross beanr 5. Rigidly secured to the base beams H are the casters 6 which are provided with the outstanding projections 26 whereby the said casters may be turned for a steering of the device. The said casters support the frame above the ground and provide that the entire structure may be readily wheeled about. Suitable brackets 27 are secured upon the lower extremity of the said beams 4-4 and are designed to support the cross members 28 which in turn are designed to support the casket while the apparatus is being wheeled about as it is thought will be readily appreciated.

tigidly secured to the base beams 4L adjacent each of the casters 6 are the upright posts T which support the upper cross beams 8. in order that the superstructure which is mounted above the base beams at may be properly held in a rigid condition, a lateral or vertical brace 9 is employed which extends between the upper extremities of the posts 7 and is secured to the base beams at. Extending between the remote extremities of the cross beams 8 the transverse bracing 10 so that the structure will be properly braced in a horizontal plane. In order to further brace the structure the transverse members 11 are employed which as illus trated in Fig. 3, are located adjacent the top of the structure so that they will not in any way interfere with the frame moving over and embracing a casket. Thus it will be apparent that the superstructure including the posts 7 and cross beams 8 with their bracing will strengthen the lower base frame and hold the base beams 4 in proper spaced relation. The top is illustrated in Fig. 3 of the drawings and is designed to carry a cover which may be used during inclement weather as it is thought will be readily apprecia ted.

Mounted upon and rigidly secured to the upper cross beam 8 are the bearings 12, each of which is provided with two openings extending therethrough which are in alinement with the corresponding openings of the opposite bearings and which openings rotataloly receive the driving shaft 13 and winding shaft 14. The driving Shaft 13 eX- tends the entire longitudinal distance of the apparatus and is provided at its extreme and remote ends with the hand wheels 15 which provides that the shaft 13 may be manually rotated. In order that the driving shaft 13 will be prevented from shifting in alongitudinal direction and at the same time l the upper extremities of said posts, means provide for the transmission of the motion extending longitudinallyof the top adapted therefrom to the winding shaft, the spur l to engage a casket for the raising and lowergears 16 are provided and are rigidly secured thereto. The winding shaft M is provided with the spur gears 17 which mesh with the spur gears 16 and are driven thereby, it being noted that the spur gears l7,are of considerably greater diameter so that a gear ratio Will be had between the driving and Winding shafts.

Rigidly securedto the remote extremities of the Winding shaft 14 beyond the spur gears 17 thereof, are the ratchet wheels 18 coacting' with which are the pawls 19, the latter being rotatably mounted upon the driving shaft 13. The pawls are of the gravity type and when in contact with the ratchet wheels 18 limit the rotation thereof to one direction. A pair of winding drums 20 are rigidly secured to and rotated with the winding shaft 14 and are located ad.- jacent the bearings 12 and provide for the proper surface upon which the cables 21 may wind. The said cables are provided at their lower extremities with the hooks 22 which may engage an 'eye rigidly secured to the vault or may engage an eye 23 secured to the cross arm 24'. The cross arms 24: are to be used in connection with holding bands 25 which pass beneath the vault and are secured to the remote ends of the said cross arms. Thus it will be apparent, as illustrated in Fig. 3, that the casket will be supported from beneath by the bands and will be swung in the cradles defined thereby.

Having thus fully described my invention, What I claim to be new and original with me is 1. A burial apparatus comprising an open-ended base frame, upright posts carried thereby, upper cross beams carried at ing thereof, a pair of depending brackets carried by each of the sides of the base frame and in transversealinement, cross members detachably disposed within said brackets adapted to support a casket thereon and hold the said means for raising and lowering the casket, and means carried by the base frame for mounting the same movably above the ground. r

2. A transporting apparatus for caskets, comprising a base frame, means for mounting the same movably above the ground, upright posts carried by said base frame, transverse top beams carried by said posts, a pair of bearings carried by each of'said transverse top beams, two-parallel shafts carried by said bearings, means for forcibly rotating at different speeds one of said shafts by the other, a pair of winding drums carried by one of said shafts and contacting with the inner edge of said bearings, preventing the longitudinal shifting of said shaft, cables extending around said Winding drums and adapted to engage a casket for the raising and lOWeringthereof, and dependingbrackets with detachable cross members car ried thereby secured to the base frame adapted to support the casket beneath said Winding drums and hold the same stationary during' the transportation of the apparatus.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own, I have hereto aflixed my signature in the presence of tWo witnesses CHARLES HOWARD STAMM. lVitnesses:

Ets ie E. Cox,

RUss'aLL KING.

'50 the same directly beneath and engageable by r Copies 0! this patent may be obtained for five cents act, by addressing the d'ommissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. C. 

